JP 4-306575 discloses a pair of connector housings which are prevented from remaining in a semi-fitted position, and which are latched in a fully fitted condition.
The semi-fitting preventing means in such a connector comprises a spring member on one of the connector housings, which is resiliently deformable in a direction opposite to the fitting direction of the connector housings, this spring member protruding towards and colliding with the other connector housing so that if the fitting operation ends in the half fitted state, both the connector housings are separated due to the force applied by the spring member, and as a result the semi-fitted state can be easily detected.
Latching in the fitted state is provided by a locking arm provided on one of the connector housings, which can be engaged with the other connector housing.
In this conventional case, in the fitted and latched state there is a possibility of the locking arm being forcibly deflected in the releasing direction where a large external force is applied in the separation direction of the connector housings. This may cause the connector to separate in an unintended fashion.
The present invention has been developed taking into account the above problem and aims at maintaining with certainty the latched state of a pair of connector housings which are in a correctly fitted state by preventing the movement of a locking arm in the releasing direction.